Signal device for vehicles.



G. F. MARSTON. SIGNAL DEVICE FOR VEHICLES. APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 11, 1910.

1 ,049,74-.9. Patented Jan.7, 1913.

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WITNESSES: 1 W dim/k6! J/fwzc/orz fi K 7%m ATTORNEYS APPLICATION FILED JUNEU, 1910.

Patented Jan 7, 1913.

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ATTORNEYS CHARLES F. MARSTON, OF GREAT NECK, NEW YQRK.

SIGNAL DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 11, 1910. Serial No. 568,288.

Patented Jan. '7, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Y 2 Be it known that I, Cnannns F. h'IARS'IOlf, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Great Neck, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented a new and Im )roved Signal Device for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to signal devices, more particularly adapted for use on automobiles and the like, and has for an ob ect to provide a device for attachment. at the rear of a vehicle to inform the operator of a second vehicle in the rear of the first vehicle, that the said first vehicle is slowing down or stopping, so that the said operator of the second vehicle will modify the speed of his vehicle to avoid colliding with the first vehicle.

' For the purpose mentioned use is made of a casin for attachment to the rear of an automo ile or like vehicle, and provided with an adequate signaling means connected with the brake mechanism of the vehicle so that when the brake is applied the signal -will operate'to inform the operator of a vehicle in the rear that the first vehicle is modifying its speed.

am aware that several devices similar in some respects to my device, have been invented heretofore, the operation of the said devices being controlled by meansespecially provided therefor and entirely distant from the other parts of the vehicle for operating the'same. In my device, however, I employthe brake mechanism of the vehicle to control the operation of the signal, and as the brake is applied the signal is automatically dis layed-"to warn any following vehicle, it ing understood that when the brake is released, the signal automatically disappears from view.

Reference is toxbe-h'ad to the accompanying' drawings, constituting a part of this specification, in lwhgich similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views'and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion ofthe rear of an automobile with my device attached thereto and the signal displayed; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line finFig. 3 with the smaller gear wheel shown in full; Fig. 3 is an end view of my device;:-Fig. 4 1s a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a brake pedal 4 -4 in Fig. 2; and

the controller of my device, nes indicating various positions constitutin the dotted of the pedal."

Referring more particularly to the various views,'a. casing 10i's provided, having a curved rears-ideand provided with a glass front ,11', over which is disposed a light 12 connected to any convenient lighting circuit. The casing 10 is attached to the end of a mud guard 13 of a vehicle 14, by suitable brackets 15. Secured to an end of the casing 10 is a second casing 16, provided at its lower end with a flange 17 having an openingt18 therein. Mounted horizontally 1n the casing 10 at the upper end thereof is a shaft 19, and rigidly secured to the said shaft is a sign 20, having a suitable word such as Brakes or the like thereon. Loosely mounted in the casing 16, on an end of the shaft 19, is a toothed gear wheel 21, and a flexible spring 22 is provided, having one end thereof secured to the toothed wheel 21 and the other end secured to the shaft 19. A bearing shaft 23 is secured to the casing 10, and loosely mounted thereon is a drum 24, having; integral therewith a toothed gear wheel 25, in mesh with the toothed wheel 21. A spring 26.is disposed inside the drum 24, with an; end of the spring secured to the dr'tungfand the other end thereof secured to theishaft 23. A rope or cord 27 is Wound several times around the drum 24, and is then passed out of the casing 16, through the hole 18, and by suitable ulleys is carried to connect with the bra re pedal 28 of the vehicle 14.

Stop lugs 29, preferably of rubber, are dis-.

posed in the interior of the casing 10 and act as cushions for the sign 20, and an adjustable collar 30 is movably securb d to the cord 27. r

In the operation of my device, when the same is in normal or initial position, the sign 20 is not in view and isdisposed as shown in Fig. 4. Now, suppose that the vehicle is moving along a street and ap proaches a corner where it is desired to slow down or stop. Upon applying the brake pedal 28 to decrease the speed of the vehicle, 27, and as the proportion between the gear wheels 25 and 21 is of a convenient ratio, such as 2 to 1, when the drum 24 turns owing to the pull on the cord, the toothed wheel 21 is turned at twice the speed of the toothed wheel 25 and the shaft 19 is rotated,

a pull is exerted on the col-(t ner, the shock thus moving the sign 20 to the position shown in Fig. 1. The sign or signal is now in full View of the operator of any vehicle following the first vehicle, and the said operator, upon seeing the signal applies his brake and stops his vehicle. thus avoiding a rear end collision. As the sign 20 moves downwfirdly, the spring 25, acting under a torsion si rain, is wound up, and as the brake pedal 28 is released the pull or torsion strain on the spring is released and the energy in the spring returns the sign to the position shown in Fig. 4. It oftentimes occurs however, that the length of the strokeof the brake pedal .varies in diltercnt vehicles, especially in ditterent types of automobiles. To balance the unusual length of the stroke of a brake pedal, the spring is provided. hen the sign 2() moves downwardly to the position shown in Fig. L llie shaft 19 turns with the sign, owing to the force exerted through the spring 32 by the wheel 21 loosely mounted on the shaft 19. Now, suppose the sign to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, but the pedal has not reached the end of its stroke, then the drum 24 will continue to rotate and the toothed Wheel 21 will rotate, but the turning force exerted by the, wheel 21 will be absorbed by the flexible spring 22 and the force tending to turn the sign still farther, will he reduced to minimum. The spring 26, however. takes up the extra energy produced by the longer stroke of the pedal, so that'wlien the pedal released, the cord will doe kept taut and will he rewound upon the drum Vl'hen my device has been attached to a veh'cle, the amount of cord uncoiled from the drum can be easily estimated by experiment, and the stop collar 30 can then be secured to the cord so that when the sign is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the collar 30 will he in the position shown in Fig. In this inanot the sign or signal returning to the normal position, will be greatly diminished by the collar 3 striking against the flange 17 just as the sign reaches "the upper end of the casing.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the signal is controlled solely by the action of the brake pedal, and thus ;he ,r'nal will only be displayed when the brake p lal is applied, and it will he further no iced that although my device is adapt ahle tor all Vehicles having brake iii-enhanisins such as described, it is particularly adapted to automobiless i'xlthough for the purpose of describing my device, I. have shown a particular construction of the same, it" will. be understood that the scope of my ili't'tlitlUH is defined in the herewith appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

Copies of this patent may be obtained for l l l being adapted to partially wind up on claim as new and desire ters Patent:

1. A signal. ihirice ;""1131ISH1'Y to secure by liena casing. a shaft journaled in the :asing, with an en-zl of the shaft extending e'tteriorly ot the ca ing, a toothed ii heel freely rotata said shat't exteriorly oi the casing, a drum mounted to turn on t min and pro- \ided with an integra; toothed wheel in llltdl with the wheel on the aid shal signal'mounted n the l ing and a to be swung by the said shaft, a anisiu, and a ilewihle c inoction hetwe n the said drum and said brake mechanif for operating the said signal when the brat-a mechanism is (operated, th said Poona tin) said llllllll.

A signal device comprising a cioin a shaft ournaled in the casing and extending vngitudinally thaw: a signal carried on he shaft and (duped to swing within the ca' ing a drain ced by the casing, means for supporting the mid drum, a spiral spring", one end of f spring lacing in en gagenient with the. drum and the othe end thereof being i went with the said supporting iilt-2lil1--, a wheel hetween the said longitudinally crhnniling shaft and the said drum, together with inc-ans for turning the drum, whoiehy the said shaift will he turned and the signal operated, the release of the said operating means permitting the said. spiral spring to return the drum to normal position, which position is main-- tained by the said spring.

3. A signal device For vehicles compris ing a casing, a second casing: secured to the first casing, a shaft journaled in the first casing and extending into the secot'nl casing, a signal secured to the shaft and i ited to swing in the rasiin a, toothed Wheel loosely mounted on the shaft in the second casing, a coiled Si'lllllg secured to the shah and the toothed wheel, a drum provided with an integral toothed wheel and mount d to turn in the s p-co al easing; with the said integral. toothed w rel mesh with th'c In testimony whereof i have sinned. my

name to this specification in the prrscnce ot two subscribing .vit'iitt-s os.

(LilAlililiS l Ill fill Hlt )N. lVitnesses F. A. Ilosrcn,

PniLir l). H otini is.

five cents each, by addressing the Zonmiissioncr of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

COl it? the,

on the 

